A vinca flower floats in brown, oily sludge in a canal behind a home just off Lake Pontchartrain near Slidell, Louisiana [Chuck Cook/AP]

But it’s capped now and little things like sludge in Lake Pontchartrain, which lies to the North of NO btw, will be dealt with soon.

Sooner than soon.

Yes?

The local talk radio tonight, in so liberal San Francisco, is pushing a real war with Mexico, as in, ‘go in and clean up that problem’, a shooting war with Mexico. Or, at least the North of Mexico. (Little wars always promise to stay that way, I guess…)

WE can’t have that on our border.

That should work… take care of all those pesky problems.

Sean Penn is on with Charlie Rose… and did manage to say an interesting thing or two about Haiti… but all goodness lies with Pretzel Clinton, and “the First Lady”, by which he means Mother Michelle. Clinton really got everyone on board, and MM will see to the education.

I think she is so busy hunting for baby fat that she has no time. Meanwhile the babies are being thrown out, bath water or no…

And, Haiti suffers as “there is no Warren Buffett there”.

Vote the party! Early and often! Then, take the only rational next step: lie face down in very wet mud and breathe deeply.

Pro-Palestinian activists from Turkey hold a news conference on board the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara as part of a humanitarian convoy. (Erhan Sevenler / Reuters / May 31, 2010)

It’s not the first time activists have attempted to break the Israeli blockade. Previously, protest ships have been turned back, escorted to Israel or allowed to pass through to Gaza. But the current flotilla, organized by Free Gaza and other pro-Palestinian advocacy groups, presented a greater challenge due to the sheer number of people — as many as 800 — taking part.

Yup.. the Great State of Israel, nuclear armed, is under attack from the high seas.

Oil booms are seen offshore as Brown pelicans nest on Breton Island off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. Wildlife in the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, created by Theodore Roosevelt, are vulnerable to the oil spill resulting from the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig last week. See the National Audubon Society’s website for further information Photograph: Gerald Herbert/AP

The Brown Pelicans, state bird of Louisiana, should just be arrested and deported. What are we waiting for? Get them OFF the barrier islands, off the wetlands and away…. Surely they are illegal in some way? Broke some law?

Oh woe is us! I am sure Obby and Holder meant to find this dangling participle of a memo, on that big table. You know that table, the one that has nothing on it…. it was declared free of encumbrances… nothing on it. ”OFF THE TABLE”… and so on.

Love the name attached to the 2002 memo: BYBEE.

Of course deportations have been up, a full 5%, under Obby. And that compares to W, The Deservedly Hated One.

In the legal battle over Arizona’s new immigration law, an ironic subtext has emerged: whether a Bush-era legal opinion complicates a potential Obama administration lawsuit against Arizona.

The document, written in 2002 by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, concluded that state police officers have “inherent power” to arrest undocumented immigrants for violating federal law. It was issued by Jay S. Bybee, who also helped write controversial memos from the same era that sanctioned harsh interrogation of terrorism suspects.

The author of the Arizona law — which has drawn strong opposition from top Obama administration officials — has cited the authority granted in the 2002 memo as a basis for the legislation. The Obama administration has not withdrawn the memo, and some backers of the Arizona law said Monday that because it remains in place, a Justice Department lawsuit against Arizona would be awkward at best.

“The Justice Department’s official position as of now is that local law enforcement has the inherent authority to enforce federal immigration law,” said Robert Driscoll, a former Justice Department Civil Rights Division official in the George W. Bush administration who represents an Arizona sheriff known for aggressive immigration enforcement. “How can you blame someone for exercising authority that the department says they have?”

The Arizona law, signed by Gov. Jan Brewer (R) last month, makes the “willful failure” to carry immigration documents a crime and empowers police to question anyone if authorities have a “reasonable suspicion” the person is an illegal immigrant. It has drawn words of condemnation from President Obama and intense opposition from civil rights groups, who on Monday filed what they said was the fifth federal lawsuit over the legislation.

An ACLU attorney, in the Wapo piece, murmurs sweet nothings… the AZ law goes way beyond the memo… memos haven’t the weight of law… and so on. But the anonymous, third party even! quotes attributed to the Justice Dept in the article, ring false. They are working so hard! Doing what? Considering their options.

Don’t sweat too hard boys. No anguished fretting!

The Right is so good at knowing the loopholes, sniffing them out, planting them, banking them for a rainy day… and the Dems are so good at helping the Righties thru the big fat hanging holes.

Phoenix, Arizona: Jesus Ruiz protests against Arizona’s new immigration law during a candlelight vigil outside the State Capitol. The state’s Republican governor, Jan Brewer, ignored criticism from President Barack Obama that the legislation will lead to racial profiling and civil rights abuses against the Hispanic community Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images

hmm and of course the state has a R governor (not that that means much) who is VERY conservative as it happens…. because Obby moved Janet Napolitano to Homeland Security. Brewer had been the Lt Governor.

But hey, Janet is so great in her new job that it all works out…

Right?

Right? No?

And, not mentioning that Brewer got her job the way she did nor being clear that many Democrats have no problem with the legislation arising in AZ… the prattle will be that they will save us… from Brewer, from harsh and punitive, invasive legislation.

Reports late today that the separation of incoming passengers at SFO was extended to citizens and those flying in from the UAE and other, so far, unamed countries.

Earlier to day, news reports did carry commentary from the flying public indicating displeasure with what they had experienced…. in particular a young woman who came in from Taiwan, via Tokyo and was frisked patted examined numerous times. Twice in Taiwan, again in Tokyo and incoming at SFO. She was Asian, of Chinese origin, as best I could determine.

In the latest reports, commentary was limited to those who said they were grateful for it.

So… we are separating people by race, ethnicity, presumed religious affiliation and country of origin, as in, nationality or just got on the plane in a certain country…. I would never say it had not been happening, but now it is official.

Report: ICE Runs Secret Immigrant Detention Sites in US

The Nation magazine is reporting the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is holding undocumented immigrants in secret sites across the United States.

In addition to its publicly listed field offices and detention sites, ICE is confining people in 186 unlisted and unmarked subfield offices. Many of the offices are in suburban office parks or commercial spaces revealing no information about their ICE tenants.

In Los Angeles, ICE is holding immigrants in a barely converted storage space tucked away in a large downtown federal building.

During a conference last year, an ICE official, James Pendergraph, openly talked about ICE’s ability to disappear people. Pendergraph said, “If you don’t have enough evidence to charge someone criminally but you think he’s illegal, we can make him disappear.”

Meanwhile, The Nation magazine is also reporting ICE agents regularly impersonate civilians and rely on other illegal tricks in order to arrest longtime US residents who have no criminal history. ICE agents have posed as Occupational Safety and Health inspectors, insurance agents and even religious workers.

And what of the amendments supported by members of the Progressive Democratic Caucus, the supporters of single-payer (SP): John Conyers, Anthony Weiner, Dennis Kucinich, Bernie Sanders and Jan Schakowsky?

At every critical moment these politicians with vertebrae composed of Jello compromised, backed down and conceded. Their allegiance to the Democratic Party and to President Obama trumped everything. There was nothing they were not willing to compromise away, no constituency that couldn’t be thrown under the bus for the sake of passing a bill; most appallingly women and abortion rights. With the exception of Dennis Kucinich and Eric Massa, they all voted for the house bill that contained the Stupak Amendment. At a small protest in front of Jan Schakowsky’s home after the vote, she came out and told protesters she voted in favor of the Stupak Amendment because she knew it would be taken out of the Senate bill. She promised us it would be. As Schak strolled back into her opulent residence she protested, “I didn’t throw women under the bus.”

The progressive Democrats sold out on single-payer early on when they backed the public option. This created enormous confusion: How could they advocate for both single-payer and the public option when the two are diametrically opposed? It didn’t take long before they all shilled almost exclusively for the public option. Schakowsky spoke at numerous HCAN meetings and rallies, never at single-payer events. Weiner was regularly interviewed by the press and focused the discussion on the public option, not single-payer.

John Conyers, the lead sponsor of the single-payer bill H.R. 676, immediately endorsed the principles of Health Care for America Now (HCAN), an organization opposed to single-payer. When confronted by single-payer supporters at a Health Care Now! national conference, Conyers couldn’t explain the contradiction. Joel Segal, one of his staffers, became enraged and attempted to shut down the discussion. Soon after, Mr. Conyers became irrelevant to the movement for single-payer and a colossal embarrassment to it. It’s tragic, really. Conyers completely abandoned his magnificent legislation, H.R. 676: the only legislation that could transform health care from a commodity to an entitlement for all and solve the crisis. Instead of fighting for that legislation, he was holding briefings with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee to discuss “Why the public option must be included to have true health reform.”

All of them in it together.

******

UPDATE, 4:54 am — on the Pacific Ocean………

Just made it to the end of the The Nation article (all of two pages…) and this is the close:

[A]n attorney who had a client held in a subfield office said on background, “The president released in January a memorandum about transparency, but that’s not happening. He says one thing, but we have these clandestine operations, akin to extraordinary renditions within the United States. They’re misguided as to what their true mission is, and they are doing things contrary to the best interests of the country.”

Following are some objects to consider when creating a Day of the Dead Altar. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are central to a traditional Mexican Day of the Dead altar.

* Portrait of the Virgin Guadalupe, Patron Saint of Mexico

* Flowers:

o the cempasuchil flower or orange marigold, which is considered the traditional Aztec flower of the Toltec goddess, Xochiquetazl, the guardian of the graves.*
o Trail of Cempasuchil flowers to lead the dead to the home and altar
o baby’s breath
o wild purple orchids
o coxcombs
o white amaryllis

* Traditionally orange has been the color of the dead along with purple, white, gold, black, and pink, as seen in the other important flowers
* Copal in an incense burner. Copal is a tree resin, sweetened by mixing it with sage and grass. If copal is not available, use any incense.*
* Water, in case the spirits are thirsty from their long journey.*
* Photographs of loved ones.*
* Food. Some Mexican food such as tamales, mole, beans, tacos, tortillas, and salsa as well as special U.S. foods preferred by the departed. Fruits and squashes, pumpkins, etc. can be added as well.* You can also use our recipes for the pan de muerto [see below!], which is very traditional.
* Soft drinks such as Coca-Cola, Orange Crush, etc.; you can also purchase Jarritos, a Mexican soda, at your local Latino store.
* Toys and candy for children.
* Money to remind us that even if we need money we must also be generous with it.
* Other religious symbols such as crosses and icons of saints.
* Candles of all sizes.

* The votive candles found in many Mexican stores which have Catholic saints on them may be appropriate and lend an authentic touch.

Other altar traditions from pre-Columbian times are:

* A frog, which generally represents fertility and also represents the twilight of each day.
* A feather of a rooster to remind us of dawn.
* A mirror to remember the duality of life and death.
* Calaveras, or skulls.* In pre-Columbian times the skulls were symbols of death and sacrifice. They are now satirical and comic.

By using four levels for the altar and the objects listed below you can incorporate some important Aztec symbolism:

Ingredients

1 quart sugarcane spirit, brandy or rum (traditional, but may be omitted)

Instructions

Cut the sugar cane into strips, wash the fruit thoroughly and cut the guavas into pieces. Boil in the water with the sugar cane, tejocotes (apricots or peaches may be substituted), prunes and cinnamon.

When cooked, add the sugar. Remove from heat and add the brandy.

Again, if I could boil water… I’d literally kill for some Mexican sweet bread and a lovely home-cooked liquor – alcoholic or other – made from sugar cane and fresh guava.

Islamist insurgents and Somali government forces engage in running battles in Mogadishu: More than 200,000 people have been displaced in the past two months, while hundreds of civilians are believed to have been killed and wounded [AFP/GETTY]

… and we do cause them to suffer, in our job as Gawd.

Let’s see… Centcom is happy as clams… they are focus war one, 27 countries under their command and hot beds a plenty. No end of mischief and murder, for decades. Mercy is on hold. WMD abound, Iran wants a bomb… ? Hell, I want one! Or, at the least, a gun.

Southern Command salivates to bring “restive” S and C America under control. Bill C to do bed checks in Haiti.

Africom bubbles along. “Somalia has not had a government in 18 years”.. oh surely we can help? That is what we do. Goodness and Kindness and Mercy. We follow people all of their days.

Did you know that Ob visited a slave embarcation point? (How could you miss it?) Yes he did. And a pregnancy clinic in Ghana. Yes he did. Took Michelle along. Optics.

Who can keep track of the wars? I cannot. Who can keep track of the Pretzel Global Tours? I cannot.

And then there is Norcom. That is us. And Canada and Mexico. Big plans there, you can feel it.

Stories all over the place… from Tora Bora, new ones.. to CIA looking odd… are they trying to say they are new at this? Why, I think they are! Hell, in that story, everybody is lying. Panetta and Nancy.. and everyone else. We are total fictions, that is what we are. Ghosts with guns and bombs and planes loaded down with bombs, pack mules of a sort, we send forth to kill and kill and kill again. Drones run out of Nellis Air Force Base, in Nevada.. It’s like video games, they say that as recruitment tactics.. and, it really is. Optics.

Nellis sits in a ”Federal Preserve”, of sorts, encompassing Area 51… and, over all, larger than Switzerland. Classifed.

Sasha wore not one but two – count them if you can – one two buckle your shoe – peace symbol t-shirts in Italy. Here, have some peace, rub their noses in it.

So.

One of the participants in the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville was a man named Peter Tefft. He was outed by the Twitter group "Yes, You're Racist," which had been posting screenshots of participants in an effort to expose them. His father, Pearce Tefft, has come out and publicly denounced his white supremacist son in an open letter […]

Heather Heyer is the latest casualty in a number of deaths at the hands of white nationalists. Foreign Policy recently published an FBI and Department of Homeland Security bulletin that concluded white supremacist groups were "responsible for 49 homicides in 26 attacks from 2000 to 2016...more than any other domestic extremist movement." Despite th […]

As President Trump faces growing outrage over his response to the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, we bring you an exclusive: an interview with the great-great-grandsons of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. At least 1,500 symbols of the Confederacy can be found in public spaces across the country. But now a number of the monu […]

In a wide ranging discussion, Nina Turner and Paul Jay focus on the role of Trump, the GOP, corporate Democrats and corporate media in perpetuating systemic racism; they also address whether Nazi's should have a right to organize public rallies

Ecuador's former president Rafael Correa is accusing recently elected president Lenin Moreno of moving the country to the right, using corruption accusations against Vice-President and Correa friend Jorge Glas as cover. TRNN's Greg Wilpert reports

BRIDGEWATER, N.J./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Thursday decried the removal of monuments to the pro-slavery Civil War Confederacy, echoing white nationalists and drawing stinging rebukes from fellow Republicans in a controversy that has inflamed racial tensions.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has stepped up his attacks on Republican senators, an approach he may regret if he is someday impeached and the Senate has to weigh charges against him stemming from an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has abandoned plans to create an infrastructure advisory council, the White House said on Thursday, the day after two other advisory groups were dismantled over the furor caused by Trump's remarks on white supremacists.

(Reuters) - Wisconsin's Republican-controlled state Assembly voted 59-30 on Thursday to approve a bill that paves the way for a $3 billion incentives package for a proposed liquid-crystal display plant by Taiwan's Foxconn.

Media

from Howl

I'm with you in Rockland
where we wake up electrified out of the coma
by our own souls' airplanes roaring over the
roof they've come to drop angelic bombs the
hospital illuminates itself imaginary walls collapse
O skinny legions run outside O starry
spangled shock of mercy the eternal war is
here O victory forget your underwear we're free
I'm with you in Rockland
in my dreams you walk dripping from a sea-
journey on the highway across America in tears
to the door of my cottage in the Western night

October 7 1955

"a remarkable collection of angelson one stage reading their poetry"
"I think Allen Ginsberg standing up there reading - putting himself on the line - was one of the two bravest things I've ever seen. Remember, it was '55. People had crew cuts, and they looked at you like you were misplaced cannon fodder. The country was being run by Luce publications. It was a dangerous, cold, ugly time, and it was scary. . .
In all our memories no one had been so outspoken in poetry before. We had gone beyond a point of no return. None of us wanted to go back to the grey, chill, militaristic silence, to the intellectual void - to the land without poetry - to the spiritual drabness. We wanted to make it new and we wanted to invent it and the process of it as we went into it. We wanted voice and we wanted vision."
-Michael McClure

Democrats…

Same as goddam fucking forever.
Over and over, in election year after election year, GE and MidTerms both… the Dems start to purr and preen, they stretch luxuriously - at just being TOLD they are going to win [...]
It never fails.
... in February of 2002, looking over the already joyless congressional stragglers willing to be drafted for duty… they barely dreamed, yet, it was even possible (Howard, a different person then, had not arrived to say it could be done)… but one thing was clear, we could not rely on the party to swing it. Could not. You could smell it, they would screw the deal. And I am not talking about Howard and primary issues here. By the end, that was a passing political story. Chuck it on the heap.
[...]
Upshot? The Republicans make it thru. They hold on.